I would like to begin this introduction by expressing how delighted I am to be invited to this Place Out of Time. How wonderful to think that we have the opportunity to gain wisdom from one another without the confines of space and time. I look forward to unearthing fundamental elements of education with this estimable circle of individuals.
A little about my life, I spent the first 11 years of my life living in the city of San Francisco, California. After my father’s passing my mother and I moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. I completed high school and eventually attended Dartmouth College. In 1894 my first poem, “My Butterfly: An Elegy”, was published in New York Independent magazine. It was at this time that I mustered up the strength to propose to my darling muse, Elinor White. She refused this marriage proposal claiming that she wished to graduate from St. Lawrence University prior to settling down. I studied liberal arts at Harvard University until Elinor graduated and agreed to marry me.
We left the city to raise our children on a farm in Derry, New Hampshire. After 9 years of mostly failed attempts at the farm life we moved to England. It was here that I completed my first book of poems, “A Boy’s Will”. I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at this time and was proud of this contribution. We remained in England until 1915, the beginning of the First World War. Eventually I found a rhythm and comfortable spot teaching in Ripton, Vermont at the Bread Loaf School of English. I found the students there to be talented and their feedback helped me mold the idea of poetry as an emotive art form. For “poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Education by Presence
A. Education by Presence: My method of instruction wherein the teacher uses extensive discussion as a means of conveying information to students.
I also refer to this as informal teaching.
"You never can tell what you have said or done until you see it reflected in other people's minds."
B. My Teaching Method
Critical thinking skills: "Evaluating conclusions by logically and systematically examining the problem, the evidence, and the solution" (Woolfolk, 343).
Metacognition: knowledge about our own thinking process (Woolfolk, 318).
"Cognition about cognition" - William James did not coin this phrase, but he studied this idea.
Declarative knowledge: Verbal information; facts; "knowing that" something is the case.
Facts about yourself as a learner.
Procedural knowledge: Knowledge that is demonstrated when we perform a task; "knowing how".
Knowing how to use study strategies etc.
Self regulatory knowledge: Knowing how to manage your learning, or knowing how and when to use your declarative and procedural knowledge.
knowing how to use the other skills to complete a task.
3 essential skills of metacognition:
Planning: involves how much time to give a task, what strategies to use, and what to give attention to.
Monitoring (self): involves asking the questions: "Is this making sense? Have I studied enough?"
Evaluating (group): involves making judgements about the processes and outcomes of thinking and learning, i.e. reflection. Questions: "Have I covered everything? Am I finished?"
Chapter 2: Vygotsky's theory of social interaction
Chapter 11: Modeling (social cognitive theory). "Children are more likely to imitate the actions of others who seem competent, powerful, prestigious, enthusiastic...etc." (Woolfolk, 400)
I expect to my students to demonstrate their learning consistently throughout a course.
Constructivist Approach to Education: chapter 10
Constructivism: View that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building understanding and making sense of information (Woolfolk, 361).
Central idea 1 (psychological construction): Learners are active in constructing their own knowledge. Also: individual constructivists. The study of individual knowledge, beliefs, self-concept, or identity.
Central idea 2 (social construction) : Social interactions, cultural tools, and activity shape individual development and learning. Also: Second wave constructivism (Woolfolk, 359-361).
My approach is mostly based upon the first idea; however, an integration of both ideas is preferable. Knowledge is both individually constructed and socially mediated. How public knowledge is created (Woolfolk, 359-361).
Potential questions about my teaching method:
How might a teacher prepare for classes using this teaching method?
This sort of teaching is improvisational. Though, as a professor, I have a general idea of what concepts we will cover in a given class.
I believe the best kind of teacher devises their own lesson plan based upon material which needs to be covered with students.
As a teacher of this method, how would you provide formal examinations to ensure that your students are learning the material?
My students demonstrate their understanding of material on a daily basis.
C. The Most Important Lesson
On p. 321 Woolfolk states that most teachers want their students to "learn how to learn". I want my students to take responsibility for their learning, but I also want students to discover their personal philosophy. I want to challenge my students' purpose in life, to help them realize and act on their potential.
Painting with a full palate: Imagine that each of us are given a palate of colors to work with when we are born. I want students to recognize the extent of their palate, to mix one color with another, to share their newfound color with the world. We are all artists, rich contacts brimming with ideas. In a classroom setting we have the opportunity to learn from one another, as a community of artists.
D. Student Population
I believe there are 2 kinds of students:
"Free-born" students
"Slaves" or "diffident," shy students
F. Instructor availability
I believe every teacher should be informal with their students.
Professors should make themselves available outside of the classroom.
G. Point/Counterpoint:
Should problem solving and critical thinking skills be taught in schools? (Woolfolk, 345) Please discuss below.
Image retrieved from http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/tag/robert-frost/
I would like to begin this introduction by expressing how delighted I am to be invited to this Place Out of Time. How wonderful to think that we have the opportunity to gain wisdom from one another without the confines of space and time. I look forward to unearthing fundamental elements of education with this estimable circle of individuals.
A little about my life, I spent the first 11 years of my life living in the city of San Francisco, California. After my father’s passing my mother and I moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. I completed high school and eventually attended Dartmouth College. In 1894 my first poem, “My Butterfly: An Elegy”, was published in New York Independent magazine. It was at this time that I mustered up the strength to propose to my darling muse, Elinor White. She refused this marriage proposal claiming that she wished to graduate from St. Lawrence University prior to settling down. I studied liberal arts at Harvard University until Elinor graduated and agreed to marry me.
We left the city to raise our children on a farm in Derry, New Hampshire. After 9 years of mostly failed attempts at the farm life we moved to England. It was here that I completed my first book of poems, “A Boy’s Will”. I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at this time and was proud of this contribution. We remained in England until 1915, the beginning of the First World War. Eventually I found a rhythm and comfortable spot teaching in Ripton, Vermont at the Bread Loaf School of English. I found the students there to be talented and their feedback helped me mold the idea of poetry as an emotive art form. For “poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
My family.
Image retrieved from http://rntrijafarwa.blogspot.com/
Possibly my greatest honor was speaking at President Kennedy's inauguration on January 20, 1961. The poem is written in the link below.
Image retrieved from http://outofprintclothing.com/2012/01/on-this-date-1961-robert-frost-reads-at-jfks-inauguration/
Feel free to read my lectures and challenge my theories. You will find the link below:
http://midddigital.middlebury.edu/local_files/robert_frost/lectures_readings/
An example of my work:
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Education by Presence
A. Education by Presence: My method of instruction wherein the teacher uses extensive discussion as a means of conveying information to students.
B. My Teaching Method
- Critical thinking skills: "Evaluating conclusions by logically and systematically examining the problem, the evidence, and the solution" (Woolfolk, 343).
- Metacognition: knowledge about our own thinking process (Woolfolk, 318).
- "Cognition about cognition" - William James did not coin this phrase, but he studied this idea.
- Declarative knowledge: Verbal information; facts; "knowing that" something is the case.
- Facts about yourself as a learner.
- Procedural knowledge: Knowledge that is demonstrated when we perform a task; "knowing how".
- Knowing how to use study strategies etc.
- Self regulatory knowledge: Knowing how to manage your learning, or knowing how and when to use your declarative and procedural knowledge.
- knowing how to use the other skills to complete a task.
- 3 essential skills of metacognition:
- Planning: involves how much time to give a task, what strategies to use, and what to give attention to.
- Monitoring (self): involves asking the questions: "Is this making sense? Have I studied enough?"
- Evaluating (group): involves making judgements about the processes and outcomes of thinking and learning, i.e. reflection. Questions: "Have I covered everything? Am I finished?"
- Chapter 2: Vygotsky's theory of social interaction
- Chapter 11: Modeling (social cognitive theory). "Children are more likely to imitate the actions of others who seem competent, powerful, prestigious, enthusiastic...etc." (Woolfolk, 400)
- I expect to my students to demonstrate their learning consistently throughout a course.
- Constructivist Approach to Education: chapter 10
- Constructivism: View that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building understanding and making sense of information (Woolfolk, 361).
- Central idea 1 (psychological construction): Learners are active in constructing their own knowledge. Also: individual constructivists. The study of individual knowledge, beliefs, self-concept, or identity.
- Central idea 2 (social construction) : Social interactions, cultural tools, and activity shape individual development and learning. Also: Second wave constructivism (Woolfolk, 359-361).
- My approach is mostly based upon the first idea; however, an integration of both ideas is preferable. Knowledge is both individually constructed and socially mediated. How public knowledge is created (Woolfolk, 359-361).
- Potential questions about my teaching method:
- How might a teacher prepare for classes using this teaching method?
- This sort of teaching is improvisational. Though, as a professor, I have a general idea of what concepts we will cover in a given class.
- I believe the best kind of teacher devises their own lesson plan based upon material which needs to be covered with students.
- As a teacher of this method, how would you provide formal examinations to ensure that your students are learning the material?
- My students demonstrate their understanding of material on a daily basis.
C. The Most Important LessonD. Student Population
F. Instructor availability
G. Point/Counterpoint:
References:
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=1d44bc53-4f3a-4a3b-ae67-cfa1cddb8b00%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4109